Over 100 Former Israeli Officers Urge PM Benjamin Netanyahu to Make Peace with Palestinians

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu walks in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, after delivering a speech on October 29, 2014 in Jerusalem.Getty Images

Over a hundred former high-ranking Israeli army officers and police members are calling on the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make peace with the Palestinians, media officials reported on Monday.

In a joint letter addressed to Netanyahu, the 105 signatories wrote:

We, the undersigned, reserve IDF (army) commanders and retired police officers, know first-hand of the painful price exacted by wars. We fought bravely for the country in the hope that our children would live here in peace and here we are again sending our children out onto the battlefield.

- Letter excerpt, Former Israeli army and police officers

"We, the undersigned, reserve IDF (army) commanders and retired police officers, who have fought in Israel's military campaigns, know first-hand of the heavy and painful price exacted by wars.

"This is not a question of left or right. What we have here is an alternative option for resolving the conflict that is not based solely on bilateral negotiations with the Palestinians, which have failed time and again."

The former officers urged Netanyahu to start a "courageous initiative" with the Palestinians and other Arab states.

"We expect a show of courageous initiative and leadership from you. Lead - and we will stand behind you. We fought bravely for the country in the hope that our children would live here in peace, but we got a sharp reality check, and here we are again sending our children out onto the battlefield," read the letter, excerpts of which were published on Ynet News.

The brainchild behind the idea of circulating the letter was major general Amnon Reshef who is a former armoured corps commander.

According to Ynet, Reshef was, "sick and tired of a reality of rounds of fighting every few years instead of a genuine effort to adopt the Saudi initiative."

The Saudi initiative he has referred to is the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative proposed by Saudi Arabia that called on Israel to withdraw from occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and in exchange, Arab countries will normalize ties with Israel.

Former Israeli President and Nobel peace laureate Shimon Peres also appealed on a similar note last week.

"It's a shame that the only peace initiative was an Arab initiative. Where is the Israeli peace initiative?" asked Peres.